Refrigeration



Feb. 25,-1930. B. c. VON PLATEN ET AL 3 5 REFRiGERATION 7 Filed March 17. 1927 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1 k J INVE/VT Feb. 25,1930. B. c. VON PLATEN ET AL REFRIGERATION Filed Mar ch 17. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb.. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALTZAR CARL VON PLATEN AND CARE GEORG- MUN TEES, OF STOOKHOLM, SWEDEN, AS- SIGNORS TO ELECTROLUX SERVEL CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPO- RATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATION Application filed March 17, 1927, Serial No. 176,026, and in Germany June 7, 1926.

Our invention relates to the art of refrigeration and particularly of the absorption type of refrigeration. One object of the invention is to provide a novel and eflicient combination of refrigerator cabinet and apparatus. I

Still more particularly, our invention re-' lates to absorption type refrigerating systems and cabinets therefor wherein circulation of gaseous fluid between the evaporator and absorber is produced as a result of differences in specific weights of vertically extending columns of gaseous fluid. To increase the efficiency of such an apparatus, it is desirable to have these columns of gaseous fluid in heat exchange relation with each other. An object of our invention is to make it possible to increase the length of these vertical columns and thus increase the force available for promoting circulation. Such a construction also makes it possible to increase materially the area of the heat transfer surface between the two columns and thus increase the efiiciency. Furthermore, it admits of a broader design, as the evaporator and absorber need not be placed near each other, which has a particular advantage in the design of small refrigerator cabinets where space is at a premium. These and other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, of which: a

Fig. 1 shows an elevational cross-sectional View of a refrigerator cabinet and apparatus according to our invention. In this illustration the cabinet is viewed from the back and the section included in the broken line is taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 2 while the remainder is a section taken. on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 the side of the box has been removed and the section 1s taken alon line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Like re erence characters identify the same members in both views. Reference character 10 designates generally a refrigerator cabinet. An insulated wall 9 extends transversely of the cabinet from side to side and constitutes a vertical partition between the cooling space 11 on the front side of the same and the apparatus space 8 to the rear of the same. The wall is jogged having a horizontally extending portion 7 forming an enlarged lower portion or compartment 13 J tion of a vertically disposed gas heat ex changer 21 are situated within compartment 11. The lower end of heat exchanger 21 extends through wall portion 7 into compartment 13. Compartment 11 is provided with suitable doors 22, 23 and 24.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, generator 14 is provided with a pocket 25 which extends centrally from the bottom to some distance within the generator. An electrical heating element 26 is situated within pocket 25. -A conduit 27 communicates with the upper part of generator 14 and extends upwardly through compartment 17 to condenser 19. Condenser 19 may consist simply of a water jacket 28 placed around a portion of conduit 27. Conduit 27 extends from condenser 19 into compartment 11 and to within dome-shaped member 29 and communicates with the upper part of evaporator 20. Evaporator 20 is placed in a horizontal position as shown and contains a series of trays 30. Trays 30 are provided with a number of apertures 31 which are surrounded by raised rims 32. A conduit 33 communicates with the lower part of evaporator 20 and with the top of outer shell 34 of heat exchanger 21.

A conduit 35 communicates with the bottom of shell 34 and extends within the upper part of absorber 15. Conduit 35 extends al-- mostthe entire length of the absorber and is prov ded with a plurality of openings 36 theremto. Absorber 15 is a horizontally deabsorbing medium, for instance water, s conposed cylindrical member partially surrounded by a water jacket 37. As can be seen on the drawing the bottom of the absorber is above the middle of the generator and the absorberand heat exchanger 16 are dlsposed one above the other. Water jacket 37 is supplied with cooling water through a conduit '38. The water is discharged through a conof dome 29.

lows Aco11duit-44 communicates with the bottom of absorber 15 and with outer shell with inner conduit-48 of heat exchanger 16.-

'A conduit-49 connects the other end of con- -d1 1it,48 with absorber 15 and communicates wlth the absorber at a point just below the scribed and the hot weak solution passes from i surface of the liquid contained'therein.

The operation oftheapparatus is as fol- A solution which consists of a cooling agent, for Instance ammonia, dissolved in an tained in generator 14. The application of heat from heating element 26 drives the ammoniaout of solution as a vapor; The ammonia vapor and a small amount of water vapor pass upwardly through conduit 27. Due tp the extended length of conduit 27,

- the vapors are cooled therein and the water vapor-condenses to a liquidand runs back to generator 14. Additional cooling effect may be obtaineduby providing conduit 27 with fins but this is not usually necessary. The dry ammonia vapor passes into condenser 19 and 'is here condensed to a liquid by the cooling action of the cooling water in water '5 jacket 28. The liquidammonia flows through ---the remainder of conduit 27 to within evapduced into evaporator 20/through conduit orator 20 where it is distributed over trays 30.

An auxiliary agent, inert with respect to ammonia, for instance hydrogen, is introweight than hydrogen, the gaseous mixture of ammonia'and hydrogen formed in evaporator 20 has a greater specific weight than the relatively pure hydrogen which enters through conduit 43. Therefore, the mixture passes downwardly'through apertures 31 in trays 30 to the bottom of the evaporator. From evaporator 20 the gaseous 7 mixture passes through conduit 33 to within shell 34 of heat exchanger 21 and passes downwardly therein. From the bottom of shell 48 the mix= ture passes through conduit 35 and is distributed through openings 36 into the vapor space in absorber 15. Themixture comes in contact with the liquid in the absorber which consists of water with but little ann monia in solution. This water absorbs the ammonia and the lighter hydrogen gas passes upwardly through conduits 41, 42 and 43 to the upper part of evaporator 20; Within heat exchanger 21 the hydrogen is pre-cooled by the ammonia-hydrogen mixture which has just left the evaporator. The greater part of the heat generated by the absorption process in absorber 15 is carried away by the cooling waterin'water jacket 37.

The strong solution formed in absorber 15 passes therefrom through conduit 44 to shell 45 of heat exchanger 15 and thence through conduit 46 to the lower part of generator 14. In generator 14 the application of heat re duces the specific weight of the relatively cool solution and causes it to pass upwardly therethrofigh. At the same time the ammonia is driven out of solution aspreviously dethe upper part of generator 14 through con duit 47 to conduit 48 in heatexchanger 16.

conduit 48 through conduit 49 to absorber-15'.

Byplacing theevapor'ator near the top of the cabinet and the major and largerportions of' the apparatus vnear the bottom, a convenient arrangement is obtained with easy access tothe greater food' space and ice trays in the evaporator; By the same arrangement an increased circulation of auxiliary agent is produced since the higher the different. colnmns of gas are, the greater is the circulating force. Furthermore, with the arrangement described and illustrated, the complete width and height of the front of the cabinet are; accessible and usable.

While we have shown and described a more or less specific embodiment of our invention,

it is to be understood that we are not limited thereby except in view of the prior art taken in conjunction with' the appended claims.

Havingthus described our invention, what weclaimis: f

1. Refrigerating apparatuscomprising a cabinet having insulated walls defining a cooling space and other walls forming, to-

tion, a generator, a liquid heat exchanger and an absorber in said lower enlarged portion, saidliquid heat exchanger and said absorber being placed in a substantially horizontal position with the bottom of the absorber above the middle of the generator, means for circulating absorption liquid through said enerator, liquid heat exchanger and absor er, a condenser in said upper narrower portion, an evaporator within the upperpart of said cooling space, a gas heat exchanger extending vertically within said cooling space and conduits interconnecting the generator, condenser, gas heat exchanger andevaporator.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet having walls forming a cooling space and an apparatus space including a vertically disposed wall separating the cooling space from the apparatus space, both spaces being of substantially the complete height of the cabinet, an evaporator in the upper part of the cooling space, an absorber, a generator for expelling a cooling agent from solution and a liquid heat exchanger in the lower part of the apparatus space, a plurality of conduits connecting the evaporator and absorber, means to liquefy the cooling agent and conduct it to the evaporator, said absorber and evaporator containing an auxiliary agent into which the cooling agent is adapted to diffuse, the evaporator and absorber and said plurality of conduits being so arranged that continuous circulation takes place through the evaporator and absorber due to difl'erence in specific weight between the cooling agent and auxiliary agent and said liquid heat exchanger and said absorber .being placed in a substantially horizontal position with the bottom of the absorber above the middle of the generator.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet having walls including a transversely extending, substantially vertically extending insulated wall determining, together with other walls, a cooling space in front of the same and anapparatus space to the rear of the same, the apparatus space having an upper narrow portion and av lower enlarged portion, both of said spaces extending substantially the complete height of the cabinet,

an evaporator in the upper part of said cooling space, an absorber, a generator for expelling a coolin agent from solution and a liquid heat exc anger inthe lower part of the apparatus space, a plurality of conduits connecting the evaporator and absorber, means to liquefy the cooling agent and conduct it to the evaporator, said absorber and evaporator containing an auxiliary agent into which the cooling agent is adapted to difiuse, the evaporator and absorber and said plurality of conduits being so arranged that continuous circulation takes place through the evaporator and absorber due to difference in specific weight between the cooling agent and auxiliary agent and said liquid heat exchanger and said absorber being placed in a substantially horizontal position with the bottom of the absorber above the middle of the generator.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet having walls including a substantially vertically extending insulated wall determining,'together with other walls, a cooling space on one side of the same and an apparatus space on the other side of the same, the apparatus space having an upper narrow portion and a lower enlarged portion, both of saidspaces extending substantially 'the complete height of the cabinet, said substantially vertically extending insulated wall I being bent to afford a horizontal portion, an

evaporator in the upper part of said cooling space, an absorber, a generator for expelling a cooling agent from solution and a l1qu1d heat exchanger in the lower part of the apparatus space, a gas heat exchanger extending vertically through the horizontal portion of said substantially vertically extending wall, connections between said gas heat exchanger, evaporator and absorber, means to liquefy the cooling agent and conduct it to the evaporator, said absorber and evaporator containing an auxiliary agent into which the cooling agent isadapted to difiuse, the evaporator, absorber, heat exchanger and connections being so arranged that continuous circulation takes place through the evaporator and absorberdue to difference in specific weight between the cooling agent and auxiliary agent and said-liquid heat exchanger and said absorber being placed in a substantially hori zontal position with the bottom of the absorber above the middle of the generator.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures.

BALTZAR CARL VON PLATEN. CARL GEORG MUNTERS. 

